Texting Between Staff & Students: Proactive Steps to Help You Protect Students & Your School

Real-time text communication between school staff and students, parents, and guardians can play an important role in today’s educational environment. While most of these text exchanges are school-related and appropriate, some may not be. Inappropriate texting between school staff and students can place students at risk and expose schools to significant liability.

The following guidelines outline general expectations, as well as key "Dos and Don’ts," to help you keep students safe and protect the school from potential liability:

General Communication Expectations

• All interactions must be respectful, professional, and related to educational, extracurricular activities, safety, or student-support purposes.

• Employees should maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times and avoid communications that could be perceived as personal, exclusive, or inappropriate.

• Employees must treat all students consistently and fairly, avoiding favoritism or special treatment.

Dos

• Provide a web-based or app-based communication tool designed specifically for schools that facilitates secure real-time, 2-way communication between students, parents/guardians and staff, e.g., Parent Square/Student Square, Apptegy, Remind, etc. These communication tools allow students and parents/guardians to opt-in to communications from specific school staff members and enable the school to maintain full visibility, with an auditable record of all interactions. 

• All text communications between staff and students should occur through one of these platforms.
• School staff should be instructed that all text communications should only contain factual information, and be clear, concise, and specific. All communications should be school-related.
• Designated School Administrators should actively monitor and be copied on all text communications between staff and students. Administrators should perform routine audits of these text communications.
• Have a school- or district-wide communication policy that establishes standards for staff-to-student communications.
  The policy should include, but is not limited to:
  • When such communications are appropriate
  • What communication tool should be used
  • What type of information is appropriate to share in text communications (e.g., event or practice details or changes, cancellations, etc.)
  • Who should be included in the text to a student (i.e., copy to parent/guardian, school administrator, etc.)
  • A sample template for a School Employee and Student Communication Policy is linked below

Don'ts

• Staff members should never text students directly from their own cell phone or through a personal or non-school social media account.

• When sending texts to students, school staff members should not use any other texting platforms except those that have been approved by the school in accordance with its communication policy.
• School staff members should never ask students for their cell phone numbers nor provide students with their personal cell phone numbers.
• Text communications from school staff members should not include any personal information or personal opinions.
  

Finally, it is recommended that the school consult with legal counsel and other relevant professional advisors when developing an employee-to-student communication policy. Here is a link to a sample policy template that can serve as a starting point for that discussion: School Employee and Student Communication Policy Template.

Please contact John Acee, Risk Management Operations & Educational Institutions Segment Specialist, at john.acee@uticanational.com with any questions.